Liquid applicator



April 21, 1970 w. F. DEW, JR

LIQUID APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 22, 196'? INVENTOR.WILLIAM F. DEW, JR.

ATTORNEY April 21, 1970 w. F. DE'W, JR LIQUID APPLICA'fOR 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Nov. 22, 1967 TW M United States Patent 3,507,250 LIQUIDAPPLICATOR William F. Dew, Jr., Decatur, Ala., assignor to MonsantoCompany, St. Louis, M0,, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 22, 1967,Ser. No. 685,017

Int. Cl. Bc N00 US. Cl. 118-234 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREBackground of the invention This invention relates to an improvedapparatus for the treatment of strands and like materials. Moreparticularly the invention relates to a new and improved apparatus fortreating strands with a liquid medium.

Strand, as used throughout this specification and the appended claims,is intended to include all types of strands, threads, yarns, filaments,fibers, fibrous bundles, bundles of filaments or filamentary material,ribbons, bands, extruded wire, and the like. This invention isapplicable to the treatment of strands made from various types ofmaterials, such as cotton, wool, flax, hemp, etc., regeneratedcellulose, such as that produced from viscous, cupra-ammonium cellulose,and the like, cellulose ethers and esters, such as methyl cellulosehydroXyethyl cellulose, ethylcellulose, etc., cellulose nitrate,cellulose acetate, cellulose proproniate, cellulose butrate, mixedcellulose ethers and esters, vinyl resins, such as polyacrylonitrile,copolymers of acrylonitrile, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, coplymersof vinylchloride with vinylacetate or acrylonitrile, and condensationpolymers such as polyamides, polyesters, and the like.

At various stages in the processing of strands and like materials,whether of synthetic or natural origin, it is desirable to apply theretoa liquid. Except for dipping of the strand itself which is often neitherpractical nor economical, the simplest form of such an application is bymeans of passing the strand across a rotating cylinder, a portion ofwhich is immersed in the liquid as it turns. This cylinder may becovered with a skirt or wick which absorbs the liquid, thereafterapplying the same to the strand.

The use of the rotating cylinder as a means for applying a liquid to acontinuous strand is especially advantageous for continuous high speedapplications where an excess of the liquid is not desired. The strandmay be relatively slack or it may be under tension. Particularly wherethe strand is under tension, it has been found that certain types ofstrands, as for example polyester threads, containing titanium dioxidehave a tendency to cause excessive wear to the cloth skirt surroundingthe cylinder, and particularly during high speed applications, to weargrooves in the rolls. It has also been found that finite adjustments ofthe amount of the application can not be made with an application bymeans of the ordinary rotating cylinder.

Summary of the invention It is therefore an object of this invention toprovide in conjunction with a wet roll type cylinder a portion of3,507,250 Patented Apr. 21, 1970 which dips into a liquid, means forcontinuous removal of varying amounts of the liquid from the peripheryof the cylinder, and means in conjunction therewith for the applicationof these limited amounts of the liquid to continuous moving strands.

It is another object of this invention to provide in conjunction with arotating cylinder, a small inexpensive and easily removable applicatorsurface for the application of a liquid to a plurality of continuouslymoving strands.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the description ofthe drawing and of the preferred embodiment.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view, insection of the preferred embodiment of this invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic perspective view of the scraper of the preferredembodiment showing a permissible variation of its upper surface.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now in detail to thefigures, continuous strands 1 pass rapidly over rotating thread guide 2across applicator bar 3, and between rotating thread guides 4.

Applicator bar 3 is mounted on scraper 5 the upper surface of which issubstantially tangential to roll 6 and in a downwardly sloping positionwith respect to its sharp cutting edge 7. This downwardly sloping uppersurface of the scraper may be provided with flow control veins orchannels 19 to channel the flow of the liquid to the point of contact ofthe strand and to distribute to various strands an equal amount of theliquid, as shown in FIGURE 3. Scraper 5 is adjustably mounted on frame8, stationary with respect to cylinder 6 and so adjusted that cuttingedge 7 will remove the desired amount of liquid 9 from the peripheralsurface of cylinder 6 as it passes in close relationship thereto.Scraper 5 may be shaped so that its surface adjacent to cylinder 6 issubstantially concave in conformance with the peripheral surface ofcylinder 6. This provides for easier adjustment of cutting edge 7 andavoids incorrect adjustment of scraper 5 so as to cut into and damagecylinder 6. A permissible variation of the fixed mounting of scraper 5is a slide mountwhereby substantially vertical freedom of movement ofscraper 5 is permitted so that its lower surface rides against theturning peripheral surface of cylinder 6. One or more bearings may bemounted on the lower surface of said scraper to minimize friction.

Cylinder 6 rotates about shaft 10 dipping into liquid 9 which iscontained in container 11.

Although the scraper itself may be used. as the actual applicatorsurface, it has been found that a removably separate application meansis more practical and economical.

Applicator bar 3, in this preferred embodiment, is cylindrical in shape,is constructed of any hard corrosion resistant material as, for examplea ceramic material, and is easily replaceable by loosening set screws 12in frames 13 .which hold applicator bar 3 against scraper bar 5.Wherever desirable to combine the applicator bar with a means forgrounding static electricity, a convenient method is afforded inaccordance with this invention by using a metallic bar which is properlygrounded. Applicator bar 3 is preferably maintained in a recess towardthe lower end of the upper surface of scraper 5. Applicator bar 5 may bestationary with respect to the scraper and adjustably rotating as inthis preferred embodiment, or it may be freely mounted on the scraper soas to turn when in contact with the strand. A rotating applicator barwould, of course be less aifected by abrasive wear. Ap-

plicator assembly 14 comprising scraper 5, applicator bar 3 and frames13, are held in position by securing same to mounting brackets 16 bybolts and wing nuts 17'. By loosening wing nuts.17, one end of scraper 5may be raised or lowered within brackets 16. Brackets 16 are alsoadjustably or slidably secured to frame 8 by screws 18.

The outer surface of cylinder 6, as in most conventional liquidapplicators, is preferably of a hard noncorrosive material.

It would thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceeding description, are efficiently obtained and,since certain changes may be made in the above construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the application of liquid to continuous running strandscomprising:

(a) a container of said liquid,

(b) a cylinder rotating about its axis and so disposed as to dip intosaid container,

(c) a substanially vertical frame mounted in stationary relationship tosaid cylinder having elements astride said cylinder,

(d) a substantially wedge-shaped scraper having a cutting edgestator-mounted in juxtaposition with the peripheral surface of saidcylinder and so disposed that its upper surface is generally tangentialto the peripheral surface of said cylinder and in a downwardly slopingposition away from said cylinder,

(e) mounting means for said scraper including slope adjustment means,

(f) adjustable means for attachment of said mounting means to said frameon said astride elements,

(g) a substantially cylindrical applicator bar removably mounted acrossthe downwardly sloping upper surface of said scraper having an exposedsurface nearly contiguous with the upper surface of said scraper,

(h) means for causing continuous strands to cross the exposed surface ofsaid applicator bar in contact therewith,

whereby a liquid contained in said container is transported along thesurface of said cylinder, is removed from said cylinder by said scraper,flows along the upper surface of said scaper to said applicator bar, andis deposited along said continuous running strand as said strand isdrawn across said applicator bar.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower surface of said scraper isconcave generally conforming with the peripheral surface of saidcylinder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scraper is fioatably mountedand so disposed that its lower surface rides against the turningperipheral surface of said cylinder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said applicator bar is rotatablymounted across the upper surface of said scraper.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scraper has channeling means onits upper surface whereby said liquid is evenly distributed to each ofsaid running strands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said applicator bar is a groundedconductor, whereby static electricity is removed from said continuousstrands.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 596,905 1/1898 McCoy 118-325 X1,932,727 10/ 1933 Faulkner 118-407 2,030,572 2/1936 Donnini 118-407 X2,493,359 1/1950 Painter 57-35 2,565,319 8/1951 Newman.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner J. P. MCINTOSH, Assistant ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R. 1l8258, 420

